Holden legend Jamie Whincup has shut down suggestions he might retire from Supercars at the end of the year.
But the 35-year-old has hinted the end might not be so far away.
After last year’s record seventh title, Whincup has slumped to fifth in this season’s championship on the back of a dire three rounds.
He went from leading the series before Phillip Island in April to be 364 points behind leader Scott McLaughlin leading into this weekend’s Darwin round.
With that in mind, Whincup wants to ensure he doesn’t keep racing too long.
While Craig Lowndes is still competitive in the championship at almost 44, Whincup doesn’t want that to be him.
“Every athlete wants to finish their career and don’t prolong it,” Whincup said.
“I’m not going to hang up the helmet at the end of the year, so let’s not jump to conclusions, but it’s simply a matter of an athlete finishing their career on top.”
Whincup was able to restore some pride in Friday’s practice at the Northern Territory circuit, finishing third in the second session.
Two rounds in Victoria and one in Perth failed to yield a podium, with his last win coming in April at Tasmania’s Symmons Plains.
The battle in the Top End is a genuine three-way affair, with Nissan storming into contention to challenge the Holden and Ford dominance.
Rick Kelly claimed his first win in seven years in the last round at Winton, capping off a dramatic week for his team after Nissan announced it was withdrawing its sponsorship.
But Kelly Racing have their Altimas in better shape than ever.
Race one, a 42-lap affair, will begin on Saturday at 4.45pm.